ShareChat and Moj launch Glow & Lovely backed micro drama series

MUMBAI: In a twist that gives the saas-bahu saga a magical makeover, ShareChat and Moj are swapping household hostility for a little understanding. Mohalla Tech, the parent company of the two platforms, has launched Saas, Bahu aur Magic, a comedy micro-drama series presented by Glow & Lovely that puts a body-swap twist on one of Indian television’s most familiar family dynamics.

The series moves away from the traditional saas-bahu formula of simmering rivalries, accusations and escalating domestic drama. Instead, it explores what happens when two women from different generations are compelled to experience life from each other’s perspective. The launch also reflects the growing role of branded entertainment in India’s short-form vertical video ecosystem, where advertisers are looking to connect with audiences through stories rather than conventional product-led messaging.

Set in Piplya, a close-knit small town where privacy is hard to come by, the story centres on Shanti Devi, a woman renowned for her traditional mango achar, and her ambitious daughter-in-law, Priya. While Shanti has spent more than three decades shouldering domestic responsibilities, Priya is determined to balance family life with her ambitions as a digital content creator.

Their contrasting outlooks set the stage for generational friction. Shanti represents years of experience shaped by household duties and established traditions, while Priya wants marriage to be part of her life without allowing it to define the limits of her aspirations. Neither fully understands the pressures the other faces — until an unexpected stormy night changes everything.

A magical body swap forces the two women to step into each other’s shoes, leaving them to navigate unfamiliar routines and perspectives. Their predicament becomes more complicated as they attempt to compete in a high-stakes town competition. Along the way, the experience reveals the sacrifices and compromises that have remained largely invisible to each of them.

As the story unfolds, suspicion gives way to solidarity. Shanti begins to appreciate Priya’s digital ambitions, while Priya gains a deeper understanding of the quiet strength behind Shanti’s everyday self-care rituals. The transformation is less about one generation winning an argument and more about both recognising that their lives, despite their differences, are shaped by personal aspirations and responsibilities.

Glow & Lovely is integrated into this storyline through the women’s self-care routines, with the brand positioning its products around confidence, care and appreciation across generations. Priya’s routine features the Glass Bright range, while Shanti’s is associated with Renew Bright. The two product lines give the brand a role within the characters’ everyday lives, rather than making the story revolve solely around a product demonstration.

The approach illustrates how consumer brands are exploring micro dramas as a way to build narratives around their products. With short-form vertical video designed for mobile viewing, the format allows a story to unfold in compact episodes while giving brands opportunities to become part of the characters’ worlds. The challenge, however, is to ensure that commercial integration does not overwhelm the entertainment — a balance the series seeks to strike by tying its brand message to the relationship between its central characters.

Commenting on the launch, ShareChat and Moj chief business officer Neha Markanda said brands were increasingly shaping micro-drama narratives while seeking to connect their product ethos with Indian consumers. She said the story’s focus on two women balancing family responsibilities and personal aspirations provided an opportunity to highlight the small, everyday self-care rituals that women maintain for themselves.

“By focusing on highly relatable characters and family dynamics, we have created a series where the storytelling and brand integration remain entirely uninterrupted and deeply engaging,” Markanda said.

For Hindustan Unilever, the partnership also reflects a shift in how brands approach audiences whose viewing habits are changing. Pratik Ved, vice-president of skincare at Hindustan Unilever, said short-form content spaces were becoming an important opportunity for Glow & Lovely to connect with consumers.

“We believe today’s Glow & Lovely consumer is increasingly spending her time in new-age, short-form content spaces, making formats such as Microdramas an exciting opportunity for us to connect with her,” Ved said. He added that the partnership with ShareChat and Moj would allow the brand to reach consumers through storytelling designed to feel fresh, relevant and engaging.

The launch places Saas, Bahu aur Magic at the intersection of entertainment and advertising, as brands experiment with formats that can hold attention through characters and narrative rather than relying entirely on traditional promotional spots. For ShareChat and Moj, the series also offers an example of how their short-video ecosystem can accommodate branded stories built around recognisable Indian family experiences.

Whether a magical body swap can permanently settle the age-old saas-bahu debate is another matter. But by replacing the usual battle lines with a dose of empathy, the series offers a different take on the household drama — one where understanding each other may prove more transformative than winning the argument.